Foldable aerial toy composed of two blades hinged end to end



Apnl 2, 1968 c. B. FRANCIS 3,

FOLDABLE] AERIAL TOY COMPOSED OF TWO BLADES HINGED END TO END Filed May 6, 1965 INVENTOR. CHARLES B. FRANCIS FIGJ'Z I ATTORNEY.

Unit States Patent 3,375,606 FOLDABLE AERIAL TOY COMPOSED OF TWO BLADES HINGED END TO END Charles B. Francis, 1833 13th Ave., Apt. 26, Seattle, Wash. 98122 Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,595 Claims. (Cl. 4686) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Two similarly shaped, thin, fiat tapered blades have their narrower ends hinged together by an inclined pivot which permits them to be folded face to face for launching and imparts a pitch to them when they are opened out end to end. A latch holds them folded while they are moving upwardly in the air. When they start down air pressure turns them end for end, the latch releases, the blades swing outwardly, the inclined pivot means gives them a pitch and air pressure rotates them as they descend.

My invention relates to a foldable aerial toy and an object of my invention is to provide a toy which can be folded and projected upwardly in the air and which will turn over and open up when it starts to descend and will descend slowly with a spinning motion.

Another object is to provide an aerial toy having two similarly shaped fiat air resistance members, herein termed blades, of thin light weight material which are connected together at one end by hinge type pivot means for relative swinging movement between a parallel side by side folded position and an open position in which they extend outwardly from each other in approximately end to end relation, the axis of the pivot means which connects said two blades being inclined relative to the planes of both of said blades, whereby as said blades swingingly move apart the incline of the pivot means will impart to said blades a pitch which will cause them to spin as they descend.

Another object is to provide an aerial toy which is simple in construction in that it is composed of two blades which are connected directly with each other by inclined pivot means and do not require the presence in the toy of any frame or body member.

Another object is to provide an aerial toy which is not expensive to manufacture and one that is entertaining to the person handling the toy and fascinating to watch when in the air.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation showing my aerial toy with the blades thereof in a folded position in which they will be at the time the toy is projected into the air.

FIG. 2 is an edge view of the toy with the blades in the position in which they are shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view taken substantially on broken line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the inclined position of a hinge by which the two blades are connected together.

FIG. 4 is a view in cross section taken substantially on broken line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary inverted view in elevation showing, in an unlocked position, the releasable means used to lock the two blades together.

FIG. 6 is a plan view, on a smaller scale than the preceding figures, showing the two blades opened out into a spinning position which they will assume after the blades have turned end for end at the uppermost limit of their flight and started their descent.

3,375,696 Patented Apr. 2, 1968 FIG. 7 is an edge view looking in the direction of broken line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan View showing a spring which can be used to insure spreading apart or opening movement of the blades.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing devices of modified form for releasably locking the two blades together.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing a modified form of the invention in which the hinge means connecting the two blades together is an integral part of said blades.

FIG. 11 is a somewhat diagrammatic view in elevation showing an application of a parachute to my spinner type toy.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary edge view showing one device which can be used to limit swinging movement of the blade members relative to each other.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

My aerial spinner toy comprises two duplicate blade members 15 and 16 of generally triangular shape in outline, each formed of thin light weight material, such as fairly strong wood or plastic. Preferably each blade has its tip end flattened or truncated and preferably the length of each blade is from two to three times its maximum width.

The narrower end portions of the two blades 15 and 16- are hinged together by hinge means which includes a diagonally positioned hinge pin 17 so that said blades can be swingingly moved relative to each other between a side by side parallel position, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and an opened out position in which they are approximately in end to end relation, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. In the form of invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 the hinge pin 17 connects two hinge plates 18 which are secured, as by rivets 19, to the respective blades 15 and 16. The hinge plates 18 extend beyond the ends of the respec' tive blades 15 and 16 and are twisted at the locations indicated by 20 to position the hinge pin 17 at a substantial incline relative to the planes of the blades 15 and 16 and diagonally across the plane of said blades. Obviously this incline of the hinge pin 17 can be varied. It will be understood that twisted hinge means can be formed integral with the blades as illustrated in FIG. 10, wherein 15 is a blade, 20' a twisted terminal portion of said blades 15 and 17', a hinge pin pivotally connecting the blade 15' with another blade 16 and positioned at an incline relative to both blades 15 and 16.

Notches 21 which register when the two blades 15 and 16 are parallel are provided in adjacent edge portions of said blades to receive suitable means by which the two blades may be launched or projected into the air. This launching means, not shown, can be a cord having one end portion attached to a stick which serves as a handle and its other end knotted to engage within the notches 21 or it can be a highly elastic piece of rubber used like a sling shot.

This means shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 for releasably holding the two blades 15 and 16 in parallel side by side relation during their upward flight and releasing them when they start to descend comprises. a locking wire 22 having the end thereof which is shown uppermost in FIGS. 1 and 2 and lowermost in FIG. 5 connected as by a pin 23 with a lever arm 24. One end portion of the lever arm 24 is connected by hinge or pivot means 25 with the hinge plate 18 of blade member 15. The other end portion of the lever arm 24 is made relatively heavy, for instance by securing a weight 26 thereto. The locking wire 22 is supported for longitudinal movement by suitable guide members 27 which are secured to the blade 15. The end portion of the locking wire 22 shown lowermost in FIGS. 1 and 2, when in a locking position, extends through an eye member 28 which is secured to the blade member 16 and extends through a clearance opening 30 in the blade member 15. Swinging movement of the lever 24 about its pivot member 25 from the position in which it is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 5 will longitudinally move the wire 22 from its locked to its unlocked position.

A suitable spring 29 is provided between the blades 15 and 16 yieldingly urging said blades apart to insure that said blades will move to an open or extended position when they are released by the locking means.

When this spinner is to be launched into the air the blades 15 and 16 are positioned side by side and the wire 22 is adjusted so that its end portion extends through the eye member 28 and locks them together. The device can then be shot into the air like a dart. The hinged parts and lever arm 24 provide substantial weight at the tip ends of the blade members and the wider ends of said blade members function as rudders and hold the device on a straight course during its upward movement. As the upward velocity of the device decreases and at about the time, or shortly after it starts to descend the weight of the hinge parts and lever 24 and the rudder like action of the wider ends of the blades will cause the device to turn over in the air. When this occurs the weighted lever arm 24 will swing on its pivot 25 from the position in which it is shown in FIG. 1 to the position in which it is shown in FIG. 5. This withdraws wire 22, from eye member 28 and releases blades 15 and 16 and said blades 15 and 16 will swing outwardly into a position substantially as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. As said blades 15 and 16 swing away from each other the incline of the hinge pin 17 relative to the planes of said blades will impart a pitch to both of the blades and they will function as air reaction surfaces to slow the descent of the device and also to impart a whirling or spinning motion to it as it descends.

The hinge parts shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 and the corresponding hinge parts shown in FIG. 10 are constructed so that swinging movement of the blades, such as blades and 16, relative to each other is limited to less than one-hundred-eighty degrees. This insures that said blades will be stopped in a position approximately as shown in FIG. 7 before they reach a position in true alignment with each other and makes the device more stable in the air in its descent than it would be if said blades opened out to or beyond a position of substantially true end to end alignment.

In FIG. 12 I show means which can be used to insure limiting the outward swinging movement of the blade members 15 and 16 as just hereinbefore described. This means is in the nature of a stop member 39 secured to one of the hinge plates 18 and having a curved end portion 40 positioned to be engaged by the other hinge plate 18 when the two hinge plates reach a position substantially as shown in FIGS. 7 and 12.

To make my aerial toy more interesting and entertaining I attach an air actuated sound producing device 36, which may be a whistle, to one of the blade members 15 or 16 in a position where it will be exposed to a rush of air and caused to emit a sound while the spinner is moving upwardly.

I also provide a small parachute 37 for use in connection with my aerial toy. The parachute 37 is made of thin light-weight pliable material and when it is compactly folded it can easily be placed between the blades 15 and 16 and secured to the hinge or parts adjacent the hinge by a thread 38 or like pliable member. When the blades open out after they have turned over in the air in starting to descend the parachute 37 Will be released and will open up and will slow the descent of the device in the air and make it more attractive to look at.

FIG, 9' shows locking means of modified form used in connection with the two blade members 15 and 16.

Said locking means comprises a wire 31 slidable in the lower guide member 27 and in an upper guide member 32. Said wire 31 carries a rigidly attached lower stop collar 33 positioned to rest on the guide member 27 when the locking wire 31 is locked in engagement with the eye member 28 and a rigidly attached upper stop collar 34 adapted to rest against the upper guide member 32 when said wire is in an unlocked position. A weight 35 is slidably mounted on the Wire 31 between the two collars 33 and 34. When the device of FIG. 9 is being projected upwardly the weight 35 will reston the collar 33 and hold the wire 31 in lockedposition. When the device turns over in starting its descent said weight 35 will drop by gravity onto the then lowermost collar 34 and move the wire 31 into a released position.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings disclose preferred embodiments of my invention but it will be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrativeand that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an aerial toy for projection into the air, two blades of similar shape formed of thin light weight ma-, terial each wider at one end than .at the other end; inclined hinge means pivotally. connecting the narrower ends of said blades together for relative swinging movement of the blades about a pivotal axis which is inclined relative to and extends diagonally across the planes of the blades, said inclined hinge means providing swinging movement of the blades between a folded position in which the blades are in side by side parallel relation and an open position in which the blades are in substantially end to end relation and extend outwardly from each other and are pitched relative to each other; releasable locking means capable of maintaining said two blades in side by side parallel relation whilesaid blades are moving upwardly in the air; and lock releasing means operated by the end for end turning over of. said blades in the air to release said blades, whereby said blades can swingingly move outwardly toward a position of substantial.

end to end alignment.

2. An aerial toy comprising two blades of similar shape formed of thin light weight material and each wider at one end tan at the other end;-inclined hinge means pivotally connecting the narrower ends of said blades together for relative swinging movement of the blades about a pivotal axis which is inclined relative to and extends diagonally across the planes of the blades between a folded position in which the blades are in side by side parallel relation and an open position in which the blades are in substantially end to end relation and extend outwardly from each other and are pitched relative to each other; releasable locking means capable of locking said two.

blades together in side by side parallel relation, whereby said blades can be projected into the air with thewider ends of said blades trailing, said wider blade ends cooperating in turning said two blades over in the air when they reach their maximum elevation and start to descend; lock releasing means operated by the turning over of said blades in the air for moving said locking means into blade releasing position; and resilient means capable of swingingly moving said blades outwardly toward a position of substantially end to end alignment when said blades are released by said locking means.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which stop means is provided limiting the outward swinging movement of said blades to an angle of less than one-hundredeighty degrees whereby stability of said wings during their descent in the air is increased.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which a parachute of light weight pliable material is disposed between said blades when said blades are inside by side parallel relation and a pliable connector connects said parachute with said blades at the location of said hinge means, whereby when said blades swingingly move apart 5 as they start to descend in the air said parachute will open and retard their descent.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 is which notches that register when said blades are in side by side relation are provided in the edge portions of the blades, said registering notches being adapted to receive pliable launching means whereby said blades are projected into the air.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,417,267 3/1947 Porter 46--80 3,124,898 3/1964 Henrichsen 4682 LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Examiner. R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner. 

